Clip



March 10, 1931. 5 TAYLOR ET AL I 1,795,622

CLIP

V Filed June 29, 1928 fire/6 7602 5 56072 66Z Z5. Eglor,

Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL E. TAYLOR AND GEORGE ELLIOT PERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CLIP Application filed June 29,

The present invention relates to improvements in clips, and refers more, particularly to lmprovements in that type of clip used for suspending clothes or the. like, comprising a pair of spring tensioned legs provided with grlpplng aws.

A clip of this character is very simple in construction comprising only two legs and a coil spring, opposite ends of which spring surround the outer walls of the opposed legs. Such a clip is made to sell'cheaply and it finds extensive use in tailorin shop's, clothing stores and the like. It is also used, of course, for holding and suspending clothing in the home, and is adapted for all of the uses for which a conventional clothes pin may be used.

Due to its simple construction, the opposed legs frequently separate laterally of each other, becoming unlocked from registering rleation with the extremities of the spring and separating into two separate legs and a spring. The clip is then, of course, useless and because of its cheapness, users of this type of clip will not spend the time necessary to reassemble the clip after it has be come accidentally separated. 'As a consequence there is considerable wastage of clips. It is an object of the present invention to provide a retainer guard or skirt for use with the type of clip described above, so constructedas to prevent any accidental separationbetween the opposed legs of a clip while at the same time not adding'materially to the cost of manufacture. V

" In its broad aspects the guard comprises a metal skirt adapted to be'slid over and enclose the two legs of the clip at a point :practicable for force to be applied to separate the jaws ofthe opposed legsand at a point where said skirt will not itself become accidentally disengaged, but will function in the most efficient manner for its intended purpose.

In a specific embodiment of the invention,

a pair of clips may be mounted on opposite sides of a hanger bar, the construction being such that the convolutions of the coil spring function as a screw thread, assisting in threading theclip with its retainer guard on the hanger bar and preventing the clip from 1928. Serial No. 289,125.

being removed from the hanger bar without the use of a force suiticient to distort same.

This specific embodiment comprises the provision of a retainer guard having an aperture in one Wall and a closed opposite wall, said aperture being disposed adjacent and in registering relation with the aperture formed by the convolutions of the coil spring. In combination with this retainer guard the ends of the hanger bar are bent to permit the clip to be threaded on the hanger, the angle and pitch of the bend being such that after the end of the hanger passes through the last convolution of the coil spring, the length of the bend is greater than the distance between adjacent convolutions or pitch of the coil spring.

In the operation of threading the bent end of the hanger bar through the convolutions of the coil spring, the coil spring being nearible will be slightly expanded while the bent end of the hanger bar is being threaded through the convolutions of the coil, but af ter it passes through the last convolution the latter contracts again to its normal position and will thereafter prevent the bent end of the hanger bar from being threaded back. At the same time this construction does not thereafter interfere with the rotation of the clip on the hanger bar. Y

The utility of the invention as well as other objects and advantages will be more 7 apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a hanger assembly illustrating a pair of clips attached to opposite ends of the hanger bar thereof. V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the particular construction of the cli s.

ig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the re tainer guard or skirt. 7

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 9 1 designates a hanger bar which may comprise round wire of proper length bent in the center to provide a loop 2 for the hook 3, the latter adapted to be suitably supported or suspended. A clip, designated as a whole at l, is mounted on each end of the hanger. Each clip 4 comprises opposed legs 5 and 5 constructed in such a manner that in the normal position illustrated in Fig. 3 the lower inner faces of the legs will contact each other, as shown at 6, the upper inside surfaces of said legs. being separated, as shown at 7. Each of the legs is provided on its inner surface with a groove or recess adapted to receive the coils 8 of a coil spring. The opposite ends of the spring project downwardly from the end of the last convolution of the coil 8, as shown at 9, being then bent at substantially right angles around the outer surfaces of each of the legs 5 and 5", which lat ter may be recessed, as shown at 10-, to partially or totally countersink said projections 9..

The construction is such, as stated here tofore, that in normal position the tension of the spring transmitted through the projections 9 and 9 will maintain the opposed meeting faces 6 in abutting or contacting r lationship, providing a space 7. V hen. is desired to force the abutting faces 6 apart, pressure is applied adjacent the upper ends of said legs to decrease or entirely close the space 7, thus with the legs 5 and 5 acting levers, and the coil 8 as the fulcrum, said )ressure results in 3r hi said meetin faces 6 away from each other. Then pressure is released from the upper ends of the legs 5 and 5." the opposed meeting faces 6 will again come together due to the tension of the coil. spring 8. here an article is held between the two legs of the clip the meeting faces 6 will remain apart a distance equal to the thickness of the article being clipped. or held thereby.

In the use of clips of this character the opposed legs 5 and 5 sometimes move laterally accidentally tod-isengage the projections 9', thus separating the two legs and the coil spring into three separate pieces, comprising two separate legs and a spring. Due to the cheapness with which these clips are manufactured and sold the user. as hereto ore explained. does not take the time necess to reassemble the separated elements, and this, of course. results in great wasta According to the present invention a: combination retainer and guard ll comprising a bent piece of some firmv material. preferably metal, substantially rectangular in cross-section. and hollow, is slid over both of the legs until it encloses and surrounds the coil spring 8. Where the clips are to be used i-ndiyidually the shirt or retainer 11 comprises a foursided hollow structure of relatively thin inaterial, the four sides of which may preferably be flat and not apertured. In this manner the element 11 will function solely as a retainer to prevent accidental separation between the two legs of the clip and the spring; the clip can be used indefinitely and will not become accidentally disengaged. The retainer 11 will cost very little to construct and, therefore, does not add any appreciable cost to the clip. One wall of the retainer may be provided with means whereby it may lock with the coil spring to prevent the accidental disengagement of said retainer.

lVhere it is desired to use the clip and retainer of the present invention in combination with a hanger as illustrated, the retainer generally has one of its walls. apertured, as shown at 12, the wall opposite thereto being non-apertured and provided with an out wardly bulging portion for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The ends of the hanger bar 1 are bent as illustrated at 14, the arrangement being such that the assembly comprising the clip and retainer, such as shown in Fig. 3, is engaged on the hanger as follows: The bent end M of the hanger bar is passed through the aperture 12 of the retainer and the clip. rotated on said hanger whereby saidv bent end: 14 will be threaded through the convolutions of the coil spring 8 until said bent end passes through the last convolution The length of the bend being greater than the distance between adjacent eonvolutions of the coil spring, said bent end will be prevented from. untha'eading and the clip will merely rotate thereafter on the hanger, the closed end 13 functioning; to limit excess end movement of the hanger bar and. simultaneously covering and preventing the end of the. hanger bar from tearing or scratching.

As before pointed out, the combination of clip and. retainer is. characterized by the fact that the elements comprising it will be prevented from accidental separation. This applies whether the clip lSllSGdl alone or in combination with a: hanger bar. When the clip is used in combination with a hanger bar, besides. the, advai-itage of being retained by the element 11 the clip will be permanently mounted on said hanger bardue to the bending of. the end 14 and thethreading of same through the convolutions of the coil spring as heretofore described. Finally, the closed ends 13 of the retainer guard. 11 prevent the ends of the hanger bar 1 from. tearing or scratching surfaces or articles with which they come in. contact.

The device is highly eflicient in use, extremely durable, and its many advantages are secured without asubstantial increase of manufacturing cost over the types of clips of this character now in. use.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination, opposed legs a spring holding said legs in spring tcnsioned con.- tacting relationship to form a clip, and a retainer enclosing and surrounding both legs and thespring to prevent unintended disassembly of the legs and spring,

2. In combination, opposed legs held in a spring holding said legs in spring tensioned contacting relationship through the medium of a spring to form a clip, and a retainer enclosing and surrounding both legs and the spring to prevent unintended disassembly of the legs and spring, said retainer compris ing a firm material shaped to form an integral hollow structure.

3. In combination, opposed legs a spring holding said legs in contacting relationship to form a clip, and a retainer enclosing and surrounding both legs and the spring to prevent unintended disassembly of the legs and spring, said spring comprising a coil, a hanger bar formed of wire provided with'a bent end, the latter being threaded through the convolutions of the coil spring.

4. In combination, opposed legs a spring holding said legs in contacting relationship to form a clip, and a retainer enclosing and surrounding both legs and the spring to preent unintended disassembly of the legs and spring, said spring comprising a coil, a hanger bar formed of Wire provided with a bent end, the latter being threaded through the convolutions of the coil spring, the pitch of the bend being greater than the distance between adjacent convolutions of the spring whereby the clip is prevented from disengagement from the hanger after being threaded on the hanger.

5. In combination, opposed legs a spring holding said legs in contacting relationship to form a clip, and a retainer enclosing and surrounding both legs and the spring to prevent unintended disassembly of the legs and spring, said spring comprising a coil, a hanger formed of wire provided with a bent end, the latter being threaded through the convolutions of the coil spring, the pitch or angle of the bend being greater than the distance between adjacent convolutions of the spring whereby the clip is prevented from disengagement from the hanger after being threaded on the hanger, said retainer having an aperture in one wall to permit the hanger to pass therethrough, and a non-apertured opposite wall provided with a bulged out portion whereby excess endwise movement of said hanger bar is prevented while simultaneously the end of the hanger is enclosed. SAMUEL E. TAYLOR; GEORGE ELLIOT PERRY. 

